Quick calender correction mechanism of timepiece

ABSTRACT

A QUICK CALENDER CORRECTION MECHANISM FOR A CALENDERED TIMEPIECE, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DATE RING HAVING RACK TEETH AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE CONVENTIONAL PLATE OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE TIMEPIECE, A SLIDABLE AND ROTATABLE STEM MOUNTED IN SAID MOVEMENT, A CLUTCH WHEEL SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STEM AND ROTATABLE IN UNISON WITH THE STEM, AND MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS PROVIDED OPERATIVELY BETWEEN SAID STEM AND SAID RING, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISE THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL TOOTH MEANS DIRECTLY FORMED ON SAID CLUTCH WHEEL AS A FIRST MEMBER OF TRANSMITTING CALENDER CORRECTING TORQUE FROM SAID STEM TO SAID RING, AND A CORRECTION WHEEL MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED   ON A CORRECTION LEVER MEANS AND ACTING A SECOND MEMBER IN THE ABOVE SENSE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A FINGER WHEEL AND A GEAR WHEEL UNITED WITH EACH OTHER FOR PERFORMING UNITARY ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, SAID GEAR WHEEL BEING ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TOOTH MEANS ON SAID CLUTCH WHEEL.

Oct. 5, 1971 CHOKEN SUZUKI 3,609,955

QUICK CALENDER CORRECTION MECHANISM OF TIMEPIECE Filed Feb. 18, 1970 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mill! Oct. 5, 1971 CHOKEN SUZUKI 3,609,955

QUICK CALENDER CORRECTION MECHANISM OF TIMEPIECE Filed Feb. 18. 1970 i 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUICK CALENDER comuacwzou mzcmuxsm or 'rmnvmcn Filed Feb. 18. 1970 Oct. 5, 1971 CHOKEN SUZUKI 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

FIG. 6

Oct. 5, 1971 CHOKEN SUZUKI 3,609,955

QUICK CALENDER CORRECTION MECHANISM OF TIMEPIECE Filed Feb. 18, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

United States Patent O1fice 3,609,955 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Int. Cl. 60 1b 19/24 US. Cl. 58-4 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A quick calender correction mechanism for a calendered timepiece, comprising a rotatable date ring having rack teeth and rotatably mounted on the conventional plate of the movement of the timepiece; a slidable and rotatable stem mounted in said movement; a clutch wheel slidably mounted on said stem and rotatable in unison with the stem; and motion transmitting means provided operatively between said stern and said ring, the improvements comprise the provision of additional tooth means directly formed on said clutch wheel as a first member for transmitting calender correcting torque from said stem to said ring; and a correction wheel means rotatably mounted on a correction lever means and acting a second member in the above sense, said means comprising a finger wheel and a gear wheel united with each other for performing unitary rotational movement with each other, said gear wheel being adapted for engagement with said tooth means on said clutch wheel.

This invention relates generally to a quick calender correction mechanism. More specifically, it relates to the quick calender correction mechanism which can be operated by rotating the winding stern of the timepiece fitted with such mechanism, upon manual attraction of the stem to a predetermined axial position.

A prior calender correction mechanism of the calendered timepiece is designed and arranged in such a way that a calender correction gear wheel is rotatably mounted on a calender correction lever which is arranged coaxially with and in unitary rotation with the conventional setting wheel adapted for engagement with the clutch wheel by adjusting manually the stem to a certain predetermined axial position destined for calender correction. By manipulating the stem in the above sense, a predetermined relative positioning between the calender correction lever and the conventional setting lever is brought about, for bringing the calender correction wheel into meshing relation with a conventional date ring.

In a further knowncalender correction mechanism, the calender correction lever is pivotably mounted on the conventional clutch lever, and an intermediate wheel adapted for engagement with the calender correction wheel is mounted on the clutch lever coaxially therewith. In this improved arrangement, a pivotal movement of the setting lever caused by manual attraction of the winding stem causes a corresponding pivotal movement of the clutch lever, thereby the calender correction wheel on the correction lever being brought into meshing relation with the date calender ring.

In the first-mentioned prior arrangement wherein the setting wheel is also not always kept in meshing with the minute wheel, the former wheel being mounted on a pivotable lever which is practically the calender correction lever, and the correction wheel and the date calender ring are again not always in meshing with the ring, a timesetting operation, when carried out during a certain period, by way of example, between 21 and 24 oclock of a day, a disadvantageous mechanical interference between the minute wheel and the setting wheel, or between the correction wheel and the date ring, thus inviting a damage of these meshingly cooperating parts.

With the second prior improved arrangement, however, a substantial complexity is inherent to the mechanism, in addition to the occupation of substantial space in the rear portion of the timepiece and in the neighborhood of the winding stem. A further drawback consists in the provision of additional gears, which results in a substantial increase of production costs and a substantial reduction in the industrial manufacturing efliciency.

The main object of the invention is to provide a quick calendar mechanism which can be manipulated at any time during a whole day, without any trouble of mechanical interference of the above .kind having a simplified design and capable of being manufactured at a favourable efficiency on an industrial scale.

This and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrative of several preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings, FIG. 1, taken substantially along the section line 2-2! calender correction mechanism according to this invention and in its read-for-calender correcting position wherein the winding stem has been withdrawn manually a first step of the longitudinal movement of the stem.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the mechanism shown'in FIG. 1, taken substantially along the section line 2-2 shown therein.

FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 1, wherein, however, the correction mechanism is shown with the winding stem fully pushed-in.

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 1, wherein, however, the stem has been withdrawn two manipulating steps.

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 1, illustrating a second embodiment of the invention shown in its winding position.

FIG. 6 is a similar view to FIG. 5, showing the second embodiment in its ready-for-calender correcting position.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the second embodiment, substantially taken along the section 7-7 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a similar view to FIG. 5, illustrating, however, the time-setting position of the mechanism.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, especially FIG. 1 thereof, the numeral 10 denotes a conventional winding stem which is slidably and rotatably mounted in a timepiece which is fitted with the calender correction mechanism according to-this invention to be described in detail. The mounting and bearing means for the stem 10', however, have been omitted from the drawings on account of their very popularity. In FIG. 1, the stem 10 has been withdrawn manually one step from the regular rest position thereof, under which the movement, not shown, of the timepiece operates for time measuring and display service.

The stem 10 is formed with a ring recess 10a, as usual, for keeping the operational engagement with an engaging pin 15a fixedly mounted on a conventional setting lever 15 which is pivotably mounted by means of a pivot pin 15c on a conventional plate, not shown, of the timepiece movement. The stem 10 is further formed with a round cylindrical part 10b and a. square-sectioned part 100, as usual.

A conventional winding pinion 11 formed on its lower surface with a number of clutch teeth 11a is rotatably mounted on said round cylindrical part 10b of stem 10, again as usual. The pinion 11 is also fitted with pinion teeth 11!) and kept in meshing relation with an intermediate gear, not shown, for transmitting winding torque from the stem 10, when manipulated for winding, through the intermediate gear to a conventional barrel drum, not shown.

A conventional clutch wheel 12 is slidably and nonturnably mounted on the square-sectioned part 10. On the upper surface of the wheel 12, it is formed with clutch teeth 12a adapted for engagement with the mating teeth 11a on winding pinion 11, as conventionally. On the lower end of clutch wheel 12, the latter is formed with rounded crown teeth 12b adapted for engagement with a conventional setting wheel 13 when this wheel is brought into its operating position. The setting wheel 13 is normally kept in meshing with a minute wheel 14, as usual.

The setting lever 15 is formed with a projection or pin 15b which is kept in pressure engagement with an engageable end part 16a, comprising working edge portions 16a, 16a" and 16a'", of a calender correction lever 16 which is pivotably mounted by means of a pivot on the plate and formed with a second arm 160. When said end part 16a is assumed to be a first lever, a correction wheel 18 shaped into a twin-finger wheel in the preferred first embodiment, is rotatably mounted at 18a on said second arm 160.

A correction gear 17 is arranged to be engageable with the peripheral teeth 12c on clutch wheel at right angles with each other. The second arm 16c is formed with an opening 16b through which the pivot pin 19 loosely passes. By this pivot pin 1'9, correction gear 17 and correction finger wheel 18 are arranged to rotate in unison to each other, so as to provide a correction wheel means or assembly.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, the correction finger wheel 18, when rotated, drives a date ring 23 through its rack teeth 23a, said date ring being shown only partially. A pressure spring strip 22 is fixedly attached with its root end 22a on the plate by means of a fixing screw 30, while an intermediate point of the spring 22 in proximity to the resilient free end 22b is kept in pressure contact with the periphery of the wheel 18, the correction lever 16 being thus urged resiliently to turn about pivot pin 20 and in the clockwise direction in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

A cheek spring 21 is arranged to occupy a position under the correction lever 16 and above the plate, not shown, said cheek spring being attached by said pivot 20 formed into a set screw, onto said plate. The cheek spring 21 is formed with a first, a second and a third recess denoted respectively with 21a, 21b and 210, said pin 15b being kept in pressure contact with any one of these recesses, in the operating position of the mechanism, for controlling the resting position of the setting lever 15 and for bringing the cam projection 15d of an engageable recess 24a formed on clutch lever 24.

Cheek spring 21 is kept in pressure engagement with a. conventional yoke spring 25 from above, and clutch lever 24 is kept in pressure engagement with the ringshaped recess 12d formed on clutch wheel 12, so that the clutch wheel is resiliently urged to move upwards in FIG. 1.

The operation of the calender correction mechanism so far shown and described is as follows:

At first, referring to FIG. 3, illustrating the regular operating position for power spring-winding.

When the stem 10 is rotated manually in the clockwise direction when seeing the mechanism and the timepiece movement from above in FIG. 3, rotation will be transmitted from the stem through its square-sectioned part 10c to clutch wheel 12; the winding pinion 11 now kept in meshing therewith is also rotated in unison. In this Way, winding torque is transmitted from the pinion 11 through conventional crown wheel and conventional ratchet wheel, both being not shown, to the power spring, thereby the latter being wound up, as usual.

In this case, the pin projection 15b on setting lever 15 is brought into pressure engagement the uppermost recessed part 16a of the first arm 16a of the correction lever 16 so that this lever is turned in the counter clockwise direction around the pivot 20, thereby the engagement between correction gear 17 and clutch wheel 12 being brought into separation from each other. In this position, therefore, a manual turning torque exerted on the stem 10 will not invite any calender-correcting effect.

When the stem 10 is withdrawn one step upwards of the timepiece, the mechanism will occupy the position shown in FIG. 1.

By this upward movement of stem 10, the setting lever 15 will be turned around its pivot in the clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 1, thereby the cam projection 15d urging the clutch lever 24 to rotate in the counter clockwise direction against the action of spring 25 and thus the clutch wheel 12 being shifted downwards. In this Way, the engagement between winding pinion 11 and clutch wheel 12 is released, the pin projection 15b of setting lever 15 being brought into engagement with second recess 21b on cheek spring 21. A coupling of the teeth 12b on clutch wheel 12 with setting wheel is thereby positively pre- 'vented.

In the former position, FIG. 3, of the mechanism, pin projection 15b of setting lever 15 was kept in pressure engagement with the first recess 21a of cheek spring 21 and the same projection 15b was kept in contact with the uppermost recess part 16a. But, by pulling the stem 10 one step upwards, as was referred to, the projection will be shifted to engage with the second recess 21b, thereby the correction lever 16 being urged resiliently to move clockwise around the pivot or screw 20 under the action exerted by spring 22; and the correction gear 17 being shifted upwards so as to engage with the teeth 12c of clutch wheel 12.

When the stem 10 is rotated under these conditions, rotation is transmitted to clutch wheel 12, thence to the correction gear 17 and the correction finger wheel 18 in succession. Inthis way, the finger wheel 18 is brought into engagement with rack teeth 23a of date ring 23 which is thus fed accordingly.

When the stem 10 is drawn outwards by a further one step from the position shown in FIG. 1, it is brought into the position in FIG. 4. Setting lever 15 is further rotated in the clockwise direction, and the cam projection 15d will act upon the clutch lever 24 to turn in the counter clockwise direction, thereby clutch wheel 12 :being brought into engagement with setting wheel 13. At the same time, pin projection 15b of setting lever 15 will be brought into engagement with third recess 210 on the cheek spring 21. The same projection will, at the same time, slide along the engageable edge 16a on correction lever 16 under pressure, thus shifting from part 16a to part 16a. In this way, the lever 16 is rotated in the counter clockwise direction against the action of spring 22 and thus the engagement between the wheels 12 and 17 is released.

When stem 10 is rotated manually under these operative conditions, the clutch wheel is correspondingly rotated and motion will be transmitted therefrom to setting wheel 13, thence to minute wheel 14, thereby a timesetting operation being carried into effect as desired.

On the other hand, the correction gear 17 has been disengaged from clutch wheel 12, so that any turning movement may be transmitted to the latter in this case.

It would be possible to arrange in such a way that in place of said projection 15b on setting lever, any member which is pivotable by shifting the stem in its longitudinal direction can be used for the desired driving of the said correction lever 16, within the scope of the invention.

It will be clearly understood that by use of the correction mechanism according to this invention, the desired calender correcting may be carried out in a quicker manner than in those conventionally used.

In the embodiment shown, the clutch wheel is formed additionally with peripheral teeth thereon and highly simplified, motion-transmitting means are arranged to cooperate therewith so as to transmit the necessary calender correction torque therefrom to the date ring. In this way, otherwise idle space existing in the neighborhood of the clutch wheel can be effectively utilized for fitting the essential parts of the calender correction mechanism according to this invention.

Further, it can be seen from the foregoing that according to this invention the mechanism comprises a least possible number of the operating parts of the mechanism.

Next, referring to FIGS. 5-8, a second preferred embodiment of the invention will be described. It should be noted that in these figures, same or similar constituent parts of the mechanism are denoted with correspondingly same reference numerals, each being, however, attached with a prime, for easy comparison of the present embodiment with the foregoing one and for better understanding of the invention.

In FIG. 5, the arrangement is similar to that shown in H FIG. 3, thus representing the power spring-winding position. The setting lever is shaped so as to have somewhat different general configuration, but it has the same function as before. As seen, this lever 15' is provided with an engaging pin 15a, a projection or pin 15b; a pivot pin 15c and a cam projection 15d, as before.

Constituents 10, 11', 12, 13, 14' and 23' have substantially same configurations and functions as those of the foregoing parts correspondingly denoted in the first embodiment with respective same reference numerals without prime.

In the present embodiment, however, correction lever 16 has somewhat different configuration from that owned by the corresponding lever 16 in the foregoing embodiment and comprises a combination in effect of correction lever 16, check spring 21 and correction lever spring 22 in the foregoing. The spring portion shown at 22' of this combined correction lever 16' comprises the correction lever spring 22 and the cheek spring 21. The free end of this spring portion 22' is formed with an opening 16b through which a pin 19' passes loosely. Said pin being made integral with both wheels 17 and 18 as before, for allowing a unitary rotation thereof. Numeral 23" denotes a date calender ring in the similar way as before.

Clutch lever 24' is made integral with its spring 25' in the present embodiment. Therefore, in spite of substantial difference in the general configurations of clutch lever 24 and its spring 25' from those in the foregoing first embodiment, it will be understood easily that their functions are substantially similar as before.

Basic parts of the levers 16, 25 are overlapped in their plan configurations shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 and fixedly mounted on the conventional plate, not shown, of the timepiece movement, by means of a pair of positioning pins 35 and 36 passing snugly through these levers. Set screw is provided for fixing the upper lever 16' by which the lower lever is also fixed in position.

Recesses 21a and 21b formed on the combined correction lever 16 not only serve as those denoted 21a and 21b in the foregoing embodiment, but also serves as those denoted 16a and 16a employed in the foregoing. A further recess 210 which serves not only as that shown at 210, but also as that denoted 1641" in the foregoing embodiment.

It will therefore be easily understood that a power spring-winding-up operation can be performed by turning the stem in one direction, and that the function thereby invited will be substantially similar as before.

As easily seen from the foregoing, the arrangement of the mechannism shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is for the date calender correction. The function of the present arrangement of the constituent parts will be also easily understood without further analysis of the mechanism, only by observing the reference numerals in consultation of the functional disclosure set forth hereinbefore with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. I

The arrangement shown in FIG. 8 corresponds substatnially to that shown in FIG. 4 in the foregoing so that no further analysis may be dispensed with for better understanding of the invention.

From the foregoing disclosure, it can easily be seen that the calender correction lever 16 and the combined correction lever 16' may be defined as correction lever means.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. In a quick calendar correction mechanism for a calendar timepiece of the type having a rotatable date ring, a rotatably and slidably mounted stem and correcting motion transmitting means including a clutch wheel slidably mounted on and rotatable in unison with said stern operatively connected between said stem and said ring upon movement of said stem to a predetermined position, the improvement comprising, tooth means located on said clutch wheel, correction lever means pivotally mounted in said timepiece for pivotal movement in response to movement of said stem and correction wheel means rotatably mounted on said lever means for transmitting correction motion from said tooth means to said date ring, said correction wheel means being normally disengaged from said tooth means and being selectively engaged with said tooth means upon movement of said stem to said predetermined position.

2. In a quick calendar correction mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tooth means are arranged in a radially directed manner about the circumference of said clutch wheel and additional tooth means are provided on said clutch wheel for engagement with hand setting means.

3. In a quick calendar correction mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said correction wheel means is comprised of a finger wheel and a gear wheel coaxially and unitarily mounted for rotation about a common axis, said gear wheel being arranged for engagement with said tooth means and said finger wheel being arranged for engagement with said date ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,427,798 2/1969 Rogers et al 58-58 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner E. C. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5858, 85.5 

